Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Glycosidic linkage is the bond that forms disaccharides and polysaccharides from monosaccharides.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
It is an oxide (ether) linkage formed by the loss of a water molecule between two monosaccharide units.
It involves the condensation of the hydroxyl group of the anomeric carbon of one sugar with a hydroxyl group of another sugar molecule.
For example, in maltose, the linkage is between C-1 of one glucose and C-4 of another.
Step 3: Final Answer:
A glycosidic linkage is an ether bond linking monosaccharide units in carbohydrates.